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REAL Update - December 2021

Dear colleagues,

I’d like to start this newsletter with a simple note of gratitude: Thank you. Because of the often unsung work of our educational community, we continue to make great strides in providing highly engaging, transformative hands-on learning as a part of every students’ VCU experience. Whether in your role as an advisor, a mentor, a faculty member, or a leader: your contributions are making a difference.

I’d like to give particular kudos to our amazing REAL Council members: Without the dedicated and tireless work of this all-volunteer force, REAL would not be where it is today as an embedded part of the VCU student experience. If you have an opportunity, please join me in thanking them for their service:

~Erin L. Webster Garrett, AVP for REAL

Focusing on REAL Connections: Updates from the REAL Council

REAL experiences have four characteristics at their core: hands-on learning in a discipline, reflective practice, mentoring, and integrative or connected learning.

Two of the biggest barriers to students engaging in advanced REAL experiences is information on how to find opportunities and engaging mentors. Read below to see how the REAL Council workgroups are focusing their work to make transformative REAL experiences accessible to all students:

Update from the REAL External Engagement Committee

Our committee has set two goals for 2021-22, and we are well on our way!

  • A two-part audit of existing mentoring programs at VCU, starting with a short survey in December followed by in-depth interviews with programs identified as exemplars in spring 2022
  • A guide that outlines existing resources and best practices for mentoring, informed by the audit

At this point, the committee has drafted and distributed the survey and created a draft inventory of existing programs. The survey went to stakeholders on December 14 with requests for input in January, and then we will proceed with the next steps of the work in the spring semester.

Update from the REAL Internal Constituencies Committee

One of our major goals as a committee is to increase use of Student Opportunity Center. In the spring, we will be working with VCU ALT Lab to create short, instructional videos highlighting the benefits of SOC. These videos will serve as a tutorial library for SOC, and can be shared with students, advisors and faculty.

Update from the REAL Co-Curricular Committee

Over the course of the fall semester, our committee welcomed four new members that represent the broad landscape of VCU co-curricular experiences; moreover, we have received and reviewed 29 co-curricular experience applications.

In the spring, we are looking forward to:

  • Engaging in the continued development of Student Opportunity Center
  • Focusing on the assessment of approved co-curricular experiences
  • Executing workshops and ongoing training for co-curricular units

Update from the REAL Curricular Committee

The REAL Curricular Committee was thrilled to finish the semester having approved all 20 of the applications we received this fall; moreover, we were able to endorse the work of the co-curricular committee to allow VCU students to use their co-curricular experiences towards their degree. This was a challenging semester, and we are lucky to have such an amazing group of dedicated committee members.

As we enter the spring semester, we look forward to slowing down and thinking critically about the process and procedures needed to renew REAL attributes. In doing so, we hope to create long-term sustainability for our committee.

Upcoming initiatives

We have a number of exciting initiatives and opportunities for engagement coming up in the spring. Be on the lookout for future communications and details about:

  • REAL Challenge Grants
  • Unveiling of the RAM Scholar program and student micro grants
  • REAL Faculty Showcase

SCHEV releases results of statewide undergraduate survey

The State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV) recently released the results of Virginia Educated, a comprehensive survey of graduates that earned associate or bachelor’s degree from Virginia public universities between 2007-2018. Key findings of the survey include satisfaction with undergraduate experience, reason for attending college, student debt, employment, and more. 

Read the executive summary to learn more about the results of this study or watch an informational webinar, presented by our colleagues at the Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory within the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.

REMINDER: REAL 399 is available and ready for student registration for Spring 2022!

REAL 399 is a variable 0-3 credit, self-directed course that allows students from any major to document their experiential learning project on their academic transcript. In addition to identifying an applied learning project, REAL 399 requires submission of reflections, meeting with a VCU mentor, and the completion of asynchronous course modules on a variety of topics.

To read the course description, visit the VCU Bulletin’s REAL 399 page. Students who wish to enroll are encouraged to consult the online Guide to REAL 399 before going to the online application.

Please feel free to share this information with students that may benefit from this course!

Know a student interested in health education?

RecWellOur colleagues at RecWell have shared a great opportunity for students that are interested in learning more about health education. TEDU 494-901 is a three-credit course designed to provide opportunities for students to practice various skills that can be leveraged after graduation. This course will be available for the spring semester and is currently open for registration.

Click the image on the right to expand and learn more about TEDU 494-901!

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